Cover for golf club



March 6, 1962 J. R. DENKERT COVER FOR GOLF CLUB Filed April 27, '1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lil. :lli

March 6, 1962 J. R. DENKERT 3,023,795

COVER FOR GOLF CLUB Filed April 27, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent C) 3,023,7 95 COVER FOR GOLF CLUB James R. Denkert, Johnstown, N.Y., assignor to M. Denkert & Company, Johnstown, N.Y., a partnership Filed Apr. 27, 1960, Ser. No. 25,048 3 Claims. (Cl. 15o-52) This invention relates to a golf club cover for the head and shank of a golf club.

Golf club covers are available in various designs. Protection of golf clubs by golf club covers has been accomplished by providing knitted mits or covers employing elastic arranged internally of the cover to gather a portion of the cover or arranged to shin' a portion of the cover to hold the cover snugly on the head of a golf club. Golf club covers have also been manufactured employing hookless fasteners so that the cover could be made to conform to the coniiguration of the club and thus remain in place during the transportation of the club to a golf course or while on the course.

The newer designs of golf club covers contemplate the provision of a cover free of auxiliary means for retaining the cover in position on a golf club, however, these designs encounter the inherent problem of forming the cover to provide ease of placement of the cover on the golf club and still provide a snug fitting cover that is able to remain in position onthe club without the use of cords, elastic or fasteners of any type.

it is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved golf club cover formed of a small number of members and having a golf club head-conforming configuration so -that it remains in position on a club without the use of cords, elastic or hookless fasteners.

A feature of the golf club cover according to the invention is that it is formed of two substantially alike sidepieces, having substantially the shape of .the profile of the head and shank of the club, disposed opposite of each other, which are held in spaced relationship facing in a common direction by a distance-piece or distancemember which extends along the full length of the cover and forms a front and a rear member of the cover which correspond to the front and rear sides respectively of the cover when disposed on the golf club.

The distance-member has a first portion corresponding to the rear member and extending greater than onehalf the overall length of the distance-member when the distance-member is lying flat. This rst portion has side edges gradually converging toward a narrower second portion which constitutes a continuation of the first portion of the distance-member and forms a front member of the cover and has opposite side edges gradually diverging in a direction away from the iirst portion. The two portions of the distance-member have opposite ends substantially aligned with the edges of the ends of correspending portions of the side-members and have their side marginal edge portions stitched by respective seams to corresponding marginal edge portions of the side members so that the distance-member holds the sidepieces in spaced relationship.

The narrowest width in dimension on the distancemember is disposed on the front side of the cover and the two portions of the distance piece converge and have their narrowest transverse dimension adjacent a closed end of the cover forming `a golf club head-conforming pocket which will allow the cover to remain in position without Ithe use of cords, elastic or hookless fasteners.

Gther features and advantages of the golf club cover in accordance with the present invention will be better understood as described in the following specification "ice and appended claims in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the golf club cover in use on a golf club;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section through the cover of FIG. 1 showing the club in position;

PEG. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the stitching of the seams of the cover;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a distance-member and sidepieces lying flat and is illustrative of the manner in which the distance-member and side-pieces forming the cover are assembled;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the golf club cover after assembly prior to tur-ning it inside out;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken approximately along line 6-6 of FIG. 1 but with the club omitted;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective View of the golf club cover shown in FIG. 1 illustrating a back side view of the cover; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of the same cover illustrating the front side of the cover.

In the drawing there is shown a golf club cover according to the invention usable for protecting the head 1v1 and shank 12 of a golf club 13. The golf club cover comprises a pair of side-pieces 1'5 and 16 which are oppositely disposed and are held in spaced relationship by a distance-member 17 having a first portion 18 corresponding to a rear member on the cover when disposed on the golf club and fa second portion 19 corresponding to a front member of the golf club cover.

Each of the side-members 15 and 16 are made of a flexible material, as for example, leather, plastic or a leather-like material and have the same configuration and curvature so that they are shaped substantially like the profile of the head 11 and shank 12 of the golf club 13. The side-pieces material is preferably of the same color. Each side-piece 15, 16 has a iirst portion 15a, 16a respectively having a curvature so that it is shaped substantially corresponding to the profile of the head 11 of the golf club; and each has a narrower, substantially straight Vsecond portion 15b, 16b respectively forming Ya continuation of the irst portions and having edges converging toward ends 23, -24 respectively thereof to correspond to the prole of the shank of the golf club.

The distance-member 17 is formed from the portion 1S which is trapezoidal in configuration when lying flat in the manner shown in FiG. 5 and in assembly has opposite edges 25, 26 converging in a direction toward the second portion 19 which is also trapezoidal and forms a continuation of portion 18 with its opposite side edges 30, `31 diverging in a direction toward an end 33 opposite to an end 34 of the distance-member.

The portion 18 forms the rear member of the cover and is wider than the portion 19 forming the front member of the cover. The length of the portion '1S forming the rear member is greater than half the overall length of the distance-member. `It will be understood that the distance-member can be made with the two portions forming a unitary seamless whole or can be made as a unitary distance-member constructed from the two portions which are joined in lassembly at a seam 35.

The distance-member is made of the material that the side-pieces are made of and preferably is of a different color. LA felt inner lining 36 extends substantially the overall length of the distance-member. This lining forms a protective inner lining for the club `and allows the club to slide easily into and out of the cover. The distancemember is preferably made with the two portions 18, 19 joined along the seam 35 to which is sewn a loop 38 made of a iiexible material similar to the material of the other cover members on Whichis mounted ya ring 39 to which is attached the swivel eyelet 40 for tying a plurality of covers and clubs together when in use on a golf course and are being transported in a golf bag.

The distance-member and side-members or side-pieces are assembled wrong-side out in the manner shown in FIG. by stitching opposite side marginal edge portions 41, 42 -to `corresponding marginal edge portions 43, 44 of the side members in the manner shown in FIG 3. An extruded plastic piping 45 is stitched between the marginal edge portions of the respective members. The plastic piping is slit transversely along the full length thereof so that it can be readily formed along the curvatures of the members and serves an an ornamentation as well as providing a seal to prevent dirt and moisture from entering the golf club cover. The distance-member has the edges of its opposite ends 33, 34 substantially aligned with the edges of the ends 23, 24 of the shank-shaped second portions of the side-pieces. In this manner of assembly the distance-member holds the side-pieces in spaced relationship with the curved portions a, 16a facing in a common direction.

The portions 18, 19 have their narrowest dimension at the point of juncture corresponding to seam 35 but in the vicinity of the dimension D the portion 19 is substantially narrowed and is correspondingly considerably narrower than the dimension of the corresponding section of the portion 18 lying on line 6-6 of FIG. 1 and shown on an enlarged scale in FIG. 6, without showing the golf club therein. This tends to form a constriction in the cover and forms a golf club head-conforming pocket extending over the distance E shown in FIG. 2. This constriction is capable of allowing kthe head 11 of the club to be inserted into the glove easily but tends to have Ithe equivalent holding eiiect as if an elastic were used to gather the Yfront portion 19 in the vicinity of D.

`The other relative dimensions of the portions in the vicinity of their ends 33, 34 upto the sta-rt of the distance E allow the head to be readily inserted into the cover and upon `insertion it begins to meet resistance at the aforementioned constriction. Once the entering head passes the constriction the relative dimensions of the portions adjacent the seam 35 tend to cause the inner surfaces of the side-pieces, which are free of lining, to frictionally engage the sides of the head 11 at the widest part of the head and to t snugly against the head at the narrowest tip portion 11a of the head. The constriction is disposed below the narrowed portion 11b of the head as shown in FIGS. l and 2. In this manner the cover is held in position on the golf club without trouble.

The cover is appropriately marked with the designation or numeral 47 and is provided with a suitable design member 48.

The invention has been illustrated by the disclosure of a specific example thereof but it will be understood that many changes can be made within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A cover for the head and shank of a golf club formed from two spaced side-pieces of flexible material disposed opposite to each other, each side-piece having a iirst arcuate portion shaped substantially corresponding to the shape of the proiile of the head of the golf club and a second portion of lesser width forming a continuation of the iirst portion and tapering toward an end of the respective side-piece to correspond substantially to the profile of the shank of the golf club, a distance-member of flexible material holding the side-pieces disposed opposite to each other and forming front and rear members of the cover which correspond with front and rear sides of the cover when the cover is disposed on the go-lf club, said distance-member having a first portion and a narrower second portion with the first portion substan- Qtially corresponding to the rear member on said cover when on the golf club and extending greater than one halfpthel length of the distance-member when it is lying at and having opposite side edges gradually converging toward the narrower second portion constituting 1a continuation of the first portion of the distance-member and lforming the front member of the cover when on said club and with opposite side edges gradually diverging in a direction away from the first portion, said distancemember having opposite ends and the edges of said opposite ends disposed substantially aligned with the edges of said ends of the second portions of the side-pieces and having opposite side marginal edge portions stitched in a respective seam to corresponding marginal edge portions of the side-pieces `so that said distance-member holds the side-pieces in spaced relationship facing in a common direction, said distance-member having its narrowest width dimension on the front side of the cover, said distance-member having Va lining thereon having a relatively low coeiicient of friction, and said side-pieces having ya relatively higher coeicient of friction than the lining whereby the lining engages the major surfaces of the golf club head to permit ease of entry and removal of the cover and the side-piece frictionally engage the sides of the golf club head to assist in retaining the cover in position on the golf club.

2. A cover for the head and shank of a golfclub formed from two spaced side-pieces of exible material disposed opposite to yeach other, each side-piece having a. rst arcuate portion shaped substantially corresponding to the shape of the profile of the head of the golf club and a second portion of lesser width `forming a continuation of the first portion and tapering toward an end of the respective side-piece to correspond substantially to the profile of the shank of the golf club, a distance-member of exible material holding the side-pieces disposed opposite to each other and forming front and rear members of the cover which correspond with front and rear sides of the cover when the cover is disposed on the golf club, said distance-member having a first portion and a narrower second portion with Ithe tirst portion substantially corresponding to the rear member on said cover when on the golf club and extending greater than one i half the length of the distance-member when it is lying at, said iirst portion of said distance-member having opposite side edges gradually converging toward the narrower second portion constituting a continuation of the iirst portion of the distance-member, said second portion forming the front member of the cover when on said club in conjunction with a part of said second portion of the distance-member, said second portion of said distancemember having opposite side edges gradually diverging in a direction away from the rst portion, said distancemember having opposite ends and the edges of said opposite ends disposed substantially aligned with the edges of said ends of the second portions of the side-pieces and having opposite side marginal edge portions stitched in a respective seam to corresponding marginal edge portions of the side-pieces so that said distance-member holds the side-pieces in spaced relationship facing in a common direction, said distance-member having its narrowest width dimension on the front side of the cover substantially in an area in which said second portion becomes an extension of said first portion, said second portion of the distance-member having a part thereof narrower than said iirst portion in the vicinity of said area and the length of said first and second portions of the distance-member being so chosen as to position said narrowest Width dimension in position on the front side of the golf club cover thereby defining a section in the cover with said lirst and second portions of .the distance-member and said two side-pieces substantially conforming to the head of the golf club and having an entry constriction to retain the cover in place on the golf club.

3. A cover for the head and shank of a golf club formed from two spaced side-pieces of exible material disposed opposite to each other, each side-piece having a first arcuate portion shaped substantially corresponding to the shape of the profile of the head of the golf club and a second portion of lesser width forming a continuation of the rst portion and tapering toward an end of the respective side-piece to correspond substantially to the prole of the shank of the golf club, a distance-member of flexible material holding the side-pieces disposed opposite to each other and forming front and rear members of the cover which correspond with front and rear sides of the cover when the cover is disposed on the golf club, said distance-member having a rst trapezoidal portion and a narrower second trapezoidal portion with the first portion substantially corresponding to the rear member on said cover when on the golf club and extending greater than one half the length of the distance-member when it is lying flat and having straight opposite side edges gradually convering toward the narrower second portion constituting a continuation of the first portion of the distance-member and forming the front member of the cover when on said club and with opposite side edges gradually diverging in a direction away from the rst portion, said distance-member having opposite ends and the edges of said opposite ends disposed substantially aligned with the edges of said ends of the second portions of the side-pieces and having opposite side marginal edge portions stitched in a respective seam to corresponding marginal edge portions of the side-pieces so that the distance-member holds the side-pieces in spaced relationship facing in a common direction, and said distance-member having a narrow width dimension on the front side of the cover narrower than a corresponding width dimension of the rear side member disposed to form a constriction in the cover spaced from the open and closed opposite ends of the cover thereby deining a section into which the head of the golf club must enter through said constriction, and said constriction tending to retain the cover in place on the head of the golf club.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,532,195 Rosenow et al Nov. 28, 1950 2,779,374 Clark Jan. 29, 1957 2,788,826 Noonan Apr. 16, 1957 2,908,307 Rosenow et al. Oct. 13, 1959 

